Golf register



r o. B. BENHAM GOLF REGISTER Filed March 31, 1922 fnvcfiior DALLAS B.BENHAM Patented Mar. 3, 1925 UNITED ATE P ATENT OFFICE.

DALLAS B. BENHAM, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINSESOTA, ASSIG-NOR QF ONE-HALF TO WYMAN S. ELLIOTT, OF MINNEAJPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

GOLF REGISTER.

Application filed March 31, 1922. Serial No. 54:2,347.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DALLAS B. BENHAM, a citizen of the United States, resident of lvlinneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf Registers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is'to provide a device by means of which a golf player can practice his swing or stroke indoors and determine with'reasonable accuracy the length of flight of the ball whenit is hit'by his club. In indoor golf schools, canvas curtains are hung at the back of the courts against which-the balls are driven from a mat, but there is no way of determining how far the ball would fiy, the only indication of distance being the force with which the ball hits the curtain and the sound of the ball striking the curtain is unreliable as a guide, as frequently a sliced or poorly hit ball will make more noise when it contacts with the curtain than a perfectly hit and straight ball. By the use of my device, the player does not need a court and nets, but can hit the ball with any of his clubs and the distance the-ball would fly when hit in the same manner out of doors will be registered.

A furtherobject is to provide a device for practicing the golf stroke, which not only can be conveniently used indoors but will eliminate the cumbersome and expensive apparatus usually required in golf schools.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all'as hereinafter described pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, V

Figure 1 is a plan view of a embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is an edge view, showing the position assumed by the ball when struck by the club,- Y

Figure 3 isa' sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, V

Figure-4 is a sectional view on the line 1-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a View corresponding to Fig ure 1, showing the position assumed by the golf register and particularly parts of the mechanism whenithe ball has been struck by the players club,

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view show-, ing the proper manner of mounting the ball on its supporting arm.

In-the drawing, 2 represents'the base of the register, of suitable material. 3 is an arm projecting outwardly from one end thereof and 4: a curved bar having a scale thereon graduated to indicate yards up to the distance a golf ball isordinarily drivenby a-good player, marks being made on the bar to indicate fifty, 'one hundred and fifty and two hundred yards, etc, An indicator 5 has a-hole 6 therein near one end to receive a bolt 7 provided with an. adjusting nut 8.

The indicator arm has a pointer at one end adapted to travel over the figures on the scale and the other end of the arm on "the opposite side of the bolt 6 has a guide plate 11 secured thereto and projecting latorally and downwardly to a point in contact with or near the surface of the base for the purpose hereinafter explained. A bracket I 12 is secured to the base near an opening 13 therein and an upright arm 14 is supported on said brackets by means of a bolt 15 having a spring 16 which normally tends to hold the arm in the upright position shown in Figure 3, but will permit it to swing down to the dotted line position shownin said figure when the arm isstruck by a moving object. As indicated-in Figure 2, the arm is curved inwardly "toward the register scale to be at allpoints in the path of'the flying ball.

Figure 3.

A ne nd of the base is a pp 8 preferably of wire, though any other suitable material may be used, and 19 is a rod having an elongated loop 20 at one end to receive a bolt 21 which loosely fits within said loop and is mounted on the base near the register valve. The opposite end of the rod 19 has a ball 22 secured thereon. Thebolt 21 is of sufiicient length so that the rod may rock or oscillate vertically thereon as well as horizontally. When aplayer wishes to address the ball, the arm 19 is swung to the position shown in Figure 1. The ball will then be elevated a suitable distance about as it would be when resting on a tee and when hit by the face of the club will swing in the arc of a circle of which the bolt 21 is the center. The arm 14 will be in the path of the ball and when struck will swing towards the dotted line position in Figure 3. The lower end 17 of the arm 14 will contact with the projecting portion of the register arm and oscillate it on its vertical axis to swing the pointer over the curved graduated bar 4, the tension of the spring 10 causing suflicient friction between the arm and its bearing to resist or counteract the force of the blow or contact of the ball with the arm 14, and when the force is expended, the indicator arm will stop on the scale and by an examination of the graduations the player can ascertain about how far the ball would have been driven if it had been hit with a corresponding force out of doors. The results obtained when the player hits the ball will be a demonstration of his skill in driving. If the ball is hit fairly with the face of the club, it will rise with the supporting arm as it leaves its seat and contact with the upper portion of the arm 14, exerting a greater leverage thereon and on the indicator arm to move the indicator arm its maximum distance. On the other hand, if the ball is only half hit or is topped, then it will strike the lower portion of the arm 14 and the failure of the shot will be indicated by the short distance the indicator arm moves over the scale. Thus the player can determine by an examination of the indicator hand and its position on the graduations whether his club has met the ball fairly and the shot has been a successful one. The arm 19 beingloose on the bolt 21, is not only free to oscillate horizontally, but has a movement vertically to allow the ball to hit the arm 14 at any point and thus indicate the character of any shot the player may make. As the ball approaches the arm 14, it will strike the inclined guide plate 11 and be directed thereby into contact with the upright arm and out of engagement with the upwardly projecting bolt 7 of the indicator arm. This guide 1 plate when the indicator hand is at zero, lies in the are described by the ball during its travel from the tee to its point of contact with the upright arm.

The ball which I prefer to use on this device is preferably built up of fabric, such as is used in the construction of an automobile tire, and is then vulcanized, as I find it necessary to have an outer surface which will withstand the hard usage of being struck by the club and contacting with the lever 14.

I prefer to provide a sleeve 20 on the end of the arm 19 having a socket 20 at its outer end and a nut 20 on the threaded end of the arm for holding the sleeve in place thereon, the ball having a socket through which the end of the arm and the sleeve are inserted. The sleeve 20 as indicated in Figure 6, passes through the center of the ball and the fabric of which the ball is composed is preferably shaped or formed on the sleeve, the edge of the opening leading to the recess in the sleeve preferably projecting over the end of the sleeve and concealing it while the nut on the end of the arm holds the ball in place while permitting it to rotate freely.

In making the device, the graduations may be placed on the curved arm in the follow ing manner: A player, knowing within a few yards of how far he can drive a ball with a wooden club, say two hundred and fifty yards, will adjust the indicator arm tension spring and hit the ball with his usual force, and if he makes his proper swing and the ball is hit fairly, and strikes the arm 14 at the desired point, the position assumed by the indicator hand on the curved bar 4 may properly be assumed as the two hundred and fifty yard point on the scale. The other graduations for iron clubs and other wooden clubs may be made in the same manner. If the player finds the arm moves too far on the scale bar. it is only necessary to increase the tension of the spring.

I claim as my invention:

7 1. A device of the class described comprising a horizontally swinging arm, a ball mounted thereon in position to be struck by a golf club, a scale and indicator therefor. and mechanism in the path of the ball and actuated by the horizontal impact thereof for moving said indicator.

2. A device of the class described comprising an arm loosely mounted at one end, a ball mounted on the opposite end of said arm in position to be struck by a golf club, a lever in the path of said arm and mechanism actuated by the movement of said lever through the impact of said ball for registering the distance of flight.

3. A golf register comprising a base, an indicator mounted for movement thereon, a graduated scale over which said indicator is movable, a ball supported to be struck by the head of a golf club, and means mounted in the path of the ball for actuating said indicator, said indicator hand having means for retarding its movement over said graduations,

l. A golf register comprising a base, an indicator mounted for movement thereon, a graduated scale over which said indicator is movable, a spring mounted to retard the movement of said indicator over said scale, a ball supported to be struck by the head of a golf club, and means mounted in the path of said ball for moving said indicator hand when struck by the ball.

5. A golf register comprising a base, an indicator arm pivoted on said base pivot near one end thereof, a graduated scale over which said arms is movable, an actuating arm pivoted on said base near the pivot of said indicator and positioned to contact with the short arm of said indicator for oscillating it and a ball supported to be driven against said actuating arm when struck by a golf club.

6. A golf register comprising a base, an arm loosely mounted at one end thereon for freedom of horizontal and vertical movement, a ball supported near the other end of said arm in position to be struck by the head of a golf club, said ball being free to rise in its forward movement with said arm when struck by the club and means in the path of said ball for indicating the length of the flight thereof.

7. A golf register comprising a base, an arm having an elongated loop at one end and a bolt on said base encircled by said loop, said arm being free to oscillate horizontally and vertically, a ball carried by said arm in position to be struck by a golf club, a pivoted actuating arm in the path of said ball, and an indicating device mounted to be moved by said actuating arm when it is struck by said ball.

8. A golf register comprising a base, an arm having an elongated loop at one end and a bolt on said base encircled by said loop, said arm being free to oscillate horizontally and vertically, a ball carried by said arm in position to be struck by a golf club, a pivoted actuating arm in the path of said ball, and an indicating device mounted to be moved by said actuating arm when it is struck by the ball, said arm projecting a sufficient distance above said base to be in the path of said ball at different elevations of its flight.

9. A device of the class described comprising a pivoted arm, a gall mounted thereon and adapted to be struck by a golf club, means in the path of said arm for guiding it upwardly, an upright lever in the path of said ball to be actuated by the impact thereof, and an indicating mechanism 0perated by the movement of said lever.

10. A device of the class described comprising an arm mounted to swing in an in clined plane, a ball carried by said arm to be struck by a golf club, an upright lever in the path of said ball to be actuated by the impact thereof, and mechanism operated by the movement of said lever for indicating the distance of flight of the ball.

11. A device of the class described comprising an arm mounted to swing on a vertical axis, a sleeve loosely mounted on said arm at one end and free to rotate thereon, a ball carried by said sleeve and adapted to be struck by a golf club, and an indicating de: vice in the path of the ball and actuated thereby for registering the force of the blow struck by the club.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March, 1920.

DALLAS B. BENHAM. 

